News

March-past showcases changes of PLA

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-01 10:55

China on Thursday staged a spectacular march-past in front of Tian'anmen, or the Gate of Heavenly Peace, in downtown Beijing, to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.

Thousands of crisp-uniformed Chinese servicemen and women, in 14 phalanxes, marched past the Tian'anmen Rostrum, where Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of New China.

The military parade, centerpiece of a grand celebration marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, is aimed at showcasing China's achievements in national defense and military modernization over the past six decades.

Servicemen and women participating in the parade are all from China's elite troops, which are distinguished for their glorious records in wartime and outstanding performances in diverse military missions, including earthquake and disaster relief, anti-terror, maintaining stability and international peace-keeping operations.

The 14 phalanxes on feet are composed of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Second Artillery Force of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the People's Armed Police Force and the reserved force.

PLA's young and mysterious Special Forces, whose mission includes anti-terror and emergency response, made their debut at the parade.

Compared with the National Day military parade 10 years ago, Thursday's parade involves fewer personnel and more equipment, fewer Army troops and more troops from the Navy, Air Force and the PLA Second Artillery Force.

Lieutenant General Fang Fenghui, general director of the parade, said the formation of the phalanxes showed the ongoing transformation of the PLA from a labor-intensive to a technology-intensive force and its ability to carry out diverse military missions.

All the phalanxes on feet goose-stepped past the Tian'anmen. In between the two ornamental pillars standing on each side of the Tian'anmen, soldiers have to take exactly 128 goosesteps in 96 meters. Each step should be exactly 0.75 meters.

Over the past months, participating servicemen and women, most of whom were born in the 1980s and 1990s, had trained for nearly 12 hours a day, even in summer when temperatures reached 40 Celsius.